Spiritual Photography
by Writer-of-many-subjects
Summary: Emma Black was someone who could approach a problem with a level head and a logical idea. All that changed with a broken camera. Her life slowly spirals into a mess as spirits and psychics are brought in to it. She has no clue how crazy her life is going to get.
1. chapter 1

I definitely don't own Ghost Hunt. I only own my OC and her intrusion into the plot. Constructive criticism is welcomed as always, so please enjoy.

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Prologue

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I wasn't someone who believed in the supernatural. I was the level-headed one of my group of friends. I was the one who would automatically give a logical reason for something happening. That all changed when my older brother moved us across the world, and into a small country called Japan. That was when all my troubles began.


	2. Chapter 2

So I set this in 2018. I believe that there would be at least one picture of Naru/Oliver floating around the internet before it was quickly taken down. So let's see how that idea plays out. Yay.

Sousie- I hope this story continues to be promising.

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Chapter 1.

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 _There was laughter. My family was driving home from a nice day at the beach. My brother made a corny pun and my dad let out a loud laugh. My mother turned to me and asked if I needed a hair tie to tie my hair back. I had declined. There was a sudden screech of tires and then I was slamming into the seat in front of me. My brother was shouting loudly as our car swerved off the road and into a tree. A fire had started and I slowly turned my head to see if my parents were okay. My eyes widened in horror at the sight in front of me. My parents weren't moving. I couldn't see their chests moving as the flames crawled into the car. My brother quickly unbuckled me from the car and dragged me out._

I bolted up in bed. My ragged breathing filled the room as I attempted to calm myself down. I ran a hand down my face as the door to my room opened. My brother walked in and plopped down on the bed.

"Another nightmare?" he quietly asked.

I gave a nod as I calmed down. He placed a hand on my back and gave it a pat.

"Well, you should get ready for school," My brother stated.

I let out a groan and flopped back onto the bed. He let out a chuckle and opened the blinds. I let out a hiss and pulled my duvet over my head. The duvet was pulled from my grasp and I narrowed my silver eyes into a glare.

"Why Japan?" I questioned as I sat up.

"The pay is good and you needed a change of scenery," he informed me.

"Okay, Mark," I huffed. "Will you get out so I can change?"

I began to push him out of the room. He began to snicker as I closed the door behind him. I shook my head in disbelief as I gave a slight glare towards the school uniform that hung on a hanger in my open closet. I slumped forward and quickly changed. Black slacks, a white long-sleeved dress shirt, a red tie, and a tan blazer. I looked at myself in the mirror. I looked like a boy. My dark brown hair was short and barely touched my cheeks, and it didn't help that it curled and thus looked shorter. I left my room and headed into the kitchen.

"Should I start calling you Lil bro?" mark asked as I entered.

"I might hit you with a spoon if you do," I warned him.

"Ahh, killjoy," Mark grinned.

I pulled out our electric kettle and began to fill it up at the sink. Mark opened up a newspaper and began to read it. I read the front cover and noted that a Psychic Research center was opening. I frowned and looked out the window. It was supposedly opening up right next door. I rolled my eyes and placed the kettle on the electric hot plate.

"I looked into a photography club at your new school," Mark stated. "They only have a newspaper."

I felt my shoulders slump at that. I had been looking forward to joining a photography club. I had been the president at my previous school. The kettle began to whistle loudly and I turned off the hot plate. I grabbed my green tea powder and teacup. I poured the water into the teacup before adding two teaspoons of green tea powder. Mark let out a groan and got up from his spot at the table.

"Heading to work?" I questioned.

"Yeah, remember that you need to take the Shibuya line to get to school and come home," Mark explained.

I was genuinely excited to ride the trains here. We didn't really have passenger trains in California. Mark ruffled my hair before heading out to work. I sipped my tea and contemplated bringing a camera with me. I think that would be an interesting thing to do. I only went to school for half the day so I needed something to do afterwards. A creak sounded behind me and I turned to see if Mark had come back. There was nothing there. I shrugged and went back to my tea. It was probably the floor creaking under my weight. It's an older apartment, and wood tends to make noises as it ages. I finished my tea and cleaned up my cup. I stretched and went to grab my school bag, iPhone, and camera. I pulled on my converse before heading out of the apartment and locking up.

The train was an interesting experience. There were different gaggles of students from different schools ridding the train. I had kept an eye out for any students at my new school. No luck it seems. I guess I'll actually have to talk to people at school.

"At least the cherry blossoms are a good subject," I muttered as I snapped a photo of said blossoms.

I gave a small smile at the idea of sending one of these pictures to the old Japanese lady who helped look after me and Mark when we were really little. I looked towards the school building and felt a little nervous at how large the building was. I could barely remember where to go at my old school. I looked over towards the old school building and sent it an unimpressed look. It was sitting at an angle. It was like the building was sinking.

'Is there a camera in the building?' I blinked in surprise.

I contemplated the most logical reasoning behind the camera being inside a decrepit building. Who could possibly be investigating that old building? I snorted at the idea that perhaps the Principal had acted upon the rumors created by the gossiping students. The students believed the building to be haunted. I looked back towards the building. Haunted was the least likely thing that building could be. I calmly walked up to the entrance and pulled it open. A girl with short brown hair jumped violently.

"Ah, you scared me, " the girl cried.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know anyone else was in here, " I apologized with a small bow.

A creaking sound caught my attention and a gasp filled the air. The shoe cubby that had been behind the girl was starting to fall. I rushed forward and knocked her out of the way. A loud metallic crunch filled the area and I pulled a face. The camera had been broken.

"That was close, " The girl sighed in relief.

"Are you okay?" I questioned.

She gave me a nod and a small smile. The door slammed open and we both jumped in unison. I winced slightly as I felt a jolt of pain go through my right leg and arm.

"What are you two doing in here!?" a man asked.

"I was curious about the camera and I dragged her with me if you want to be angry at anyone be angry at me," I stated.

I kept an emotionless mask over my face as I silently questioned myself where that had come from. Something about the brunette made me want to defend her. The man gave me a stiff nod. I got up to my feet and then proceeded to help the girl up. She gave me a larger smile before dusting off her skirt.

"You should head to class," I quietly told her.

"Okay, why don't you have lunch with me and my friends?" She quickly suggested.

"Sure," I gave a slow nod.

She gave me a worried grin before leaving the building. The man was looking at me with a raised brow. I shuffled slightly before looking back down at the camera.

"You have insurance, right?" I asked.

I tilted my head as the man contemplated my question. Someone blocked the door and I quickly looked towards the newcomer. My eyes widened slightly in recognition. I knew him.

'Isn't that Oliver Davis?' I blinked in surprise.

There stood a boy a year older than me with raven hair, a very pale complexion, and royal blue eyes. He was the exact carbon copy of the only picture of Oliver Davis. I may not believe in the paranormal, but I did read his book. It was one of those titles that caught one's eye, and I had been curious as to how one could dissect a field that was so rooted in superstition with science. His eyes met mine and I tilted my head at him slightly.

"Lin, what happened?" he asked.

His tone left much to be desired. He hadn't asked in a curious tone, or even a worried one, he had asked like it was an order. The man, or rather Lin, looked towards me. I raised a brow at him. I wasn't the one who was asked a question, Lin. Lin let out a sigh.

"I was getting some feedback from the camera's microphone so I came to investigate," Lin began. "She had dragged another student in with her and it seems that a shoe locker fell over."

"Is this true?" the boy who might be Oliver Davis asked.

"It might be," I shrugged, I quietly contemplated my next move. "Are you Oliver Davis?"

Two sets of eyes widened in surprise and I knew I had my answer. I started to tense up as the silence grew heavy.

"How did you…" Lin trailed off.

"I followed someone on a few social media sights, and they snapped a single photo at a police office," I quietly informed the two. "Granted it was taken down five minutes after it was posted."

The two continued to stay quiet before they shared a look. I wish I had some popcorn, watching two people converse with each other using their eyes and faces was highly entertaining. I started to clench and unclench my fists. It was an old habit I had back from when I would get nervous. I think I can blame my brother for this.

"What you know is not going to leave this room," Oliver stated.

"It wasn't going to anyway," I stated.

"Who are you?" Lin finally asked.

"Emma Black, a transfer student from America," I responded in English.

Lin blinked at that. He seemed to like me a little bit after I told him that. Granted there was still a bit of distrust in his eyes. Oliver pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes in thought. I looked back down towards the camera. Does he use VHS? I wonder where he gets his VHS players. I'm genuinely surprised that he hasn't gone to digital yet.

"The Emma Black who won a scholarship to an Ivy league college for a thesis paper on mass hysteria?" Lin asked.

It was my turn to be surprised at that. I wasn't sure how many people had heard about that. I had entered the competition for shits and giggles.

"I entered as a joke, have you read my thesis?" I quietly asked him.

"I have, it's a well-written joke," I gave a smile at his words.

"If we are done talking I have a proposition for you," so Oliver has a British accent. "I want you to work as an assistant to pay off the damage done to the camera."

"No one buys a camera that expensive without having insurance to go along with it, " I calmly stated.

He attempted to stare me down. I slowly began to lose my calm. He wasn't blinking. If I wasn't starting to get fidgety I would've asked him for pointers so I could stare Mark down before he does something stupid.

"Fine, just stop staring," I sighed. "It was starting to creep me out."

There was a glint of victory in his eyes as Lin sighed. Lin walked out of the building and I heard a bell ringing. I guess I was going to be late for my first day of class.

"I'm going by the alias Shibuya Kazuya," Oliver informed me.

"I understand," I nodded. "What time do you need me to work? My classes end at noon. I have a short schedule."

"Noon will be fine," Oliver stated.

"Okay, " I muttered before walking to the doors.

The sun caused me to wince slightly before I continued onward to the actual school. Students were quickly changing into their indoor shoes while talking to their friends. I looked at my schedule and headed to locker 13. I quietly out in my combination before opening it. The school had given me a pair of indoor shoes with my uniform. I heard the gossip beginning as I changed shoes. Gaijin was being thrown around quite a bit. I closed and locked my locker before heading into the school. I looked at my schedule. Okay, class 1-A I can find that. I went up the stairs and looked at the signs that hung off the wall. My class was at the front of the hall. The whispers continued as I opened the door to the class. An elderly woman looked at me before giving me a kind smile.

"You must be Black-San," the woman greeted me. "I'm Watanabe Yoko, your new homeroom teacher."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Watanabe-sensei, " I quietly greeted.

Her smile grew and I stood there as she wrote my name down on the board. It was written in Katakana so the students would get it. Students filed in one by one and took their seats. The muttering began to die down as a few students looked at me curiously. I heard some debates over my gender happening from the back of the classroom.

"Class this is Black Emma, please treat her with respect," Watanabe stated.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all, please take care of me," I quietly said with a bow and soft smile.

"Girl, that is obviously a girl," A boy stated to his friend. "Even with that scar on her face."

I ignored them as the scar on the right side of my face began to itch and burn. From my jawline to underneath my eye, there was a scar that was still a bit red. Watanabe directed me to a seat in the back. I smiled and took a seat. The students were allowed to finish up their homework while Watanabe told us about future events. I quietly took out my phone and turned off the sound.

 ** _Staying late after school might be a while._** I sent a text to my brother.

 ** _Okay, what happened?_** He responded with a few seconds.

 ** _I broke a camera on accident._** I got a facepalm emoji with that.

I smiled before putting my phone away as Watanabe began to teach us about English. A girl with black hair in two braided pigtails began to take notes. I looked over at her and noticed that she was struggling slightly. I sighed.

"Would you like some help?" I quietly asked.

She jumped and sent me a surprised look before nodding. I looked at she was struggling with. Ah, it was the dreaded "Their", "There", and "There". I wrote the words down before giving an example in Japanese. The language was different, but it seemed as though a light went on as she began to fill out sentences with the correct word. I smiled and slowly leaned back against my desk. I brought out the cat gel pen my brother had gotten me. I started to write down notes and followed along with the lecture. After an hour the bell gave a cheerful chime and the class ended. I yawned and packed up my things. I had art then home economics. I had three classes today. I wasn't the least bit upset my that. I was promised more classes next year.

"Ah Black-San, do you have a different class?" The girl who I helped asked.

"Yes, due to my transferring being so late the school decided that I'd be taking three classes a day until the new school year," I explained. "I didn't catch your name."

"Kuroda Naoko," the girl introduced herself.

"It was really nice sitting next to you for this class, hopefully, next semester it'll be for a longer time," I stated with a smile before I left the classroom with a small wave.

The schedule made an appearance again as I attempted to find the art room. I looked up from the schedule and saw Oliver walking towards me. He raised a brow at me and I gave a sigh.

"My school schedule is weird and I'm lost," I muttered. "What can I do for you?"

He held out a black notebook. I accepted it with only a little bit of confusion.

"The information on what Lin and I are doing is in there," Oliver explained in a monotone.

"Understood, did you happen to pass an art room on your way up here?" I asked.

"I didn't," Oliver stated.

"Okay, thank you, " I gave him a small smile and continued on my way.

I discreetly looked back and noticed a slightly frustrated and disgruntled expression on his face. I smirked to myself as I stopped a student and asked them. So I had to go down the stairs and into the courtyard to find the art classes. I was a little out of breath when I made it. The teacher, a severe-looking man, had just opened the door. He eyed me and gave me a skeptical look.

"Black?" He asked.

"No map," I stated.

He gave an understanding nod as I was welcomed into the class and introduced once again. I sat in the back once again and listened as the teacher, Ibe Watanuki, gave us a project about self-reflection. I opened up the black notebook and almost laughed out loud. Oliver had nicer handwriting than I did. I shook my head and read the little sticky note from Lin. So they were ghost hunters. I rolled my eyes at that. I read up on the building, five people were injured during renovations, a seven-year-old child was murdered in there, a teacher suffering from Neurosis committed suicide, and a drunk driver caused two deaths. I clenched my jaw at that last one.

'More in-depth than I thought it would have been,' I mused to myself as I closed the notebook.

I put it away and pulled out a sketchbook. I began to work on the project and slowly drew my figure. A child sitting in a field of sunflowers was my piece. It was from a dream I had back when I was six. It had been weird yet calming. I guess that's where my love of sunflowers came from. The bell lets out its chime and I blinked in surprise.

'I hadn't noticed that an hour had passed,' I thought as I packed everything up.

A smile of victory found itself on my face as everyone breaked for lunch. I went to go find the girl from earlier. I found her standing around 1-A and I gently tapped her shoulder. She jumped and I withheld my laughter.

"Sorry about that," I stated.

"It's all right," She stated, she let out a chuckle and I joined her. "I never introduced myself, I'm Taniyama Mai."

"I'm Black Emma," I responded with a grin.

Mai led the way with a grin. I listened to her as she told me about her friends. Apparently, word got around fast that I was quiet. We sat down in her classroom and her friends began to stare at my face. I looked at them and tilted my head in a questioning way. They looked away with red faces and I took out my lunch. It was a sandwich with some chips.

"Is that your lunch?" Mai asked.

"Yeah, it's pretty normal for America but pretty different here," I let out a sheepish laugh.

"It looks nice, what kind of sandwich is it?" Mai asked.

"Pastrami with provolone," I responded.

She nodded her head in understanding. The two girls then decided to ask about what it was like in America. I readily replied as we ate our lunches. The bell chimed once again and had to part ways. Home economics was just like art, except I ended up with cookies to take home. I sighed in relief as my day was over. I walked over to the old school building and noticed that Lin and Oliver were putting away microphones.

"Emma," I gave my attention to Lin as he greeted me.

"Hello again," I greeted back.

"We're moving shelves into a classroom," Oliver informed me.

I gave a nod and placed the cookies in my bag. They were wrapped in plastic wrap so I wasn't too worried about them making a mess in my bag. I was handed a few beams and I let out a soft sigh.

"I can carry more than this," I stated.

Oliver looked at me with a raised brow before placing more beams in my arms. I continued a deadpan at him and eventually, I ended up with all the beams. Oliver led the way into the building and I followed behind him with an amused smirk. Lin followed behind with a few cables. He went off in a separate direction and Oliver continued up the stairs. Oliver eventually found a room he seemed to approve of and opened the door. I set the beams on a table and gently rolled my shoulders.

"Could you build the shelf, please," Oliver stated, I looked at him in surprise, he had actually said please. "I'm going to go grab some more equipment."

"Would you like my help when I'm done?" I asked as I started my task.

"Some of the equipment is forty kilograms," Oliver informed me.

So about eighty-eight pounds. I looked at him and squinted slightly.

"I can lift two times my weight, if you need a reliable source for that claim feel free to ask my older brother," I informed him in a monotone.

He wasn't amused by that and left the room without saying anything. I started to build the shelves and stopped when something let out a loud creak. I looked up towards the ceiling as the lights flickered on. I resumed my work and finished within a few seconds. I guess building Ikea furniture actually does teach one something. The door clacked open and I turned to see Oliver entering with a few bundles of wires. Lin came in shortly with some monitors. The two of them easily set everything up and I eyed a piece of technology in disbelief.

"Are you still using VHS tapes?" I asked.

"Only for overnight audio," Oliver sighed.

"Ah, you seem like the kind of person who looks before they leap," I muttered, he looked at me and I flushed in slight embarrassment. "You seem very cautious."

"Of course," Oliver admitted. "Sometimes you encounter great danger in a haunted house. If you underestimate the situation you might never return."

"Is it not better to remove the more logical and likely reasons behind something before assuming that the cause of a problem is paranormal?" I questioned.

Lin picked up an infrared camera and left the room. Oliver looked at me with narrowed eyes. I kept a calm head and issued him a collected look. I could inform him of my point. I know that if someone was to show me evidence, or even if I saw something myself I would be willing to believe. I just wouldn't say every bump in the night is paranormal.

"You don't believe in any of this," Oliver stated.

"I don't," I admitted. "But I am willing to keep an open mind. If I see evidence then I will most likely believe in it, I just don't jump to the conclusion that something is paranormal when there might be a rational explanation for it."

I could almost see the gears grinding in his head. He tossed me a device and I caught it with some ease. He had tossed me a digital thermometer. He handed me a clipboard and pen. I knew what he wanted me to do. I left the room and started my temperature gathering on the third floor of the building. Eventually, I walked into a room and took a tumble when I hit some uneven flooring.

"Ah, fuckknuckle," I hissed in English.

I quickly got up to my feet and checked to make sure that nothing had been broken during my fall. I sighed in relief when I noticed that nothing was destroyed. I took the temperature and swept my gaze around the room. The furniture that was left over in the classroom was tilted to the left side of the classroom. I traveled closer to the desks and crouched down to study the floor. I swept some of the dust away from the floor before my eyes narrowed. There were recent scrapes in the floor from the furniture moving. I removed my school bag from my back and dug around inside to see if I still had a surveyors tool on my person. I smiled as I found it and placed it in the middle of the room. The room was tilting fifteen degrees to the left. The room was leaning at a Dutch angle. I picked my surveyors tool up and placed it back in my bag as I wrote down my findings next to the temperature and quietly added my ideas for the building sinking into the ground on the west side. I finished up my rounds and headed back to the room where Oliver and Lin were.

"Here," I held out the temperatures to Oliver.

He took it without question as Lin looked up from the monitors. He met my eyes and then looked back towards the monitors. I squinted slightly and smiled in amusement as I noticed a small pillow on the seat of Lin's chair.

"The temperature for the building is relatively close, only the first floor is colder," I muttered as I placed the thermometer on Lin's desk.

"Not enough to matter," Oliver added.

I nodded in understanding before feeling my phone vibrate in my bag. I ignored it for the time being. Whoever it was could wait. Oliver looked towards me in slight annoyance and I sighed before pulling my phone from the pocket on the side of my school bag.

"Please excuse me," I stated as I looked at the number.

I exited the room and closed the door behind me as I went to sit on the steps as I answered the phone.

"Hey sis," Mark happily greeted me.

"What did you do?" I questioned.

I heard a small snort and sighed as I recognized it to be female. Great, he was having a girl over.

"Nothing actually, I need you to stop by the grocery store on your way home," Mark stated.

"Sir, you could've sent this to her in a text," the female voice distantly stated.

I was wrong. He had me on the speaker at work. I smiled slightly as I heard his sound of indignation.

"Anything in particular you want? I am busy doing work right now," I informed him.

"I leave dinner in your capable hands, could you find me a bag of kettle baked potato chips?" Mark asked.

"Of course, see you later brother, " I sighed.

I ended the call and shook my head in disbelief. He really called me while I was doing something, for a bag of chips? Only Mark could be this strange. I got up to my feet and placed my phone in the pocket of my slacks. I entered the room and I got a raised eyebrow from Oliver.

"We'll be positioning the rest of the infrared cameras," Oliver told me.

I gave a nod and followed behind. I looked towards Oliver and my brows furrowed. What was he doing so far away from England? It didn't make sense. I gave a quiet sigh as we exited the school building. There was a rather nice breeze today. It was different compared to the winds we'd get back home. I was handed a camera on a stand and followed behind Oliver as we set up different cameras. The last camera went in front of the entrance. Oliver was writing something down on a clipboard and I stretched slightly.

"You may go home now," Oliver informed me.

"Okay, have a nice night," I stated before exiting the building I took out a sticky note and stuck it in the van they had.

It was a rather shifty way of giving them my number. I made it to the train and I stepped on it and took a ride all the way to Shibuya station. I stopped by the grocery store and picked up some pork and eggs. I even grabbed my brother a pack of Kettle brand chips. I paid for everything and went home. The apartment was dark when I entered. I removed my shoes and turned on the flashlight on my phone. I found the light switch and turned the lights on. I quickly made dinner and ate it. My night was filled with being by myself and going to sleep. That was it really.


	3. Chapter 3

Ellaine Rose: Thank you it means a lot to me!

Sousie: No problem .

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Chapter 2

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 _This dream was different than my usual one. I was staring out at a lake that looked suspiciously familiar. I blinked as the sun glared off the murky water and into my eyes. The screeching sound of tires against pavement caught my attention. I looked towards my left and my eyes widened as a car, with black tinted windows and no license plates, slammed into me. I hit the pavement and slid a little from the momentum. The sound of a car door opening and a woman followed suit before the car went over me again. Apparently, the asshole who hit me decided that they needed to double tap. Everything went dark after that and I began to shake. This felt far too real to be a dream. I felt a wetness hit my back before I was submerged in water. My heart began to thump wildly as I struggled to breathe. Everything went dark again before a green flash entered my vision._

I bolted up in bed. I could hear my harsh breathing as tears and sweat went down my face. I was shaking. I pushed my sweat soaked hair back and attempted to calm down. I heard my phone vibrate and chanced a peek at it. Lin was just giving me a confirmation text that he and Oliver had my number. I felt something warm trickling down my lips and gave an inward groan. I had a bloody nose, great. I shakily climbed out of bed and headed to the bathroom. My uniform was already inside and so was one of Mark's suits. I grabbed some toilet paper and held it up to my nose as I stopped shaking. I haven't been rattled like that since I had my first nightmare in the hospital. I stuffed the toilet paper into my nose and began to peel off my sweat-soaked clothes. The cool air hit my skin and I let out a shiver as I started the water up. I looked at myself in the mirror and winced at the scars on my shoulder and hip. I had been lucky enough that I had made out with minimal injury from the crash. I discarded the toilet paper as my bloody nose stopped. I climbed into the shower and quickly finished my business. I heard Mark knocking on the door as I turned off the water and stepped out. I dried off and changed into my school uniform. I opened the bathroom door and Mark raised a brow at me.

"The bathrooms all yours satan," I quipped.

Mark rolled his eyes at me and brushed past me and into the bathroom. I chuckled quietly and went to make breakfast. I made scrambled eggs and coffee. Mark made an appearance drying his hair with a towel.

"So, you broke a camera," Mark grinned.

"It wasn't on purpose," I defended.

Mark chuckled at that as he dug into breakfast. I started to eat as well. I unlocked my phone and began to scroll through a few newspapers from home. My fork dropped to my plate with a loud clatter. Mark made a confused sound and I clenched my jaw.

"Uncle Greg passed away three days ago," I growled.

"Ah, good riddance to bad blood," Mark stated in a dark tone.

Uncle Greg had been shot by a father responding to his child's pleas for help. I wish I wasn't related to such a sick bastard. It sounds harsh, but I'm glad to be rid of him for good. Sick bastard said something rather disgusting and distasteful last Thanksgiving. Mark kicked my shin and I glowered at him. I decided to ignore my anger and push past my intense dislike of my uncle. I decided to see what classes I had today. The school emailed me overnight and stated that I had Physical Education all three periods today. I was working as a Teachers assistant. I had a gym bag filled will the P.E uniform, so I guess I was set.

Mark finished his food and took care of the dishes. He messed my hair up before leaving for work. I sipped at my coffee and reflected on what I had dreamed about. It wasn't like my usual nightmares, it felt less personal. I heard a crash from my room and automatically stood to my feet. I grabbed a can of mace from the tool drawer and got ready to call the police on my phone. I entered my room quietly and the mace dropped from my hand in surprise. Every picture of my parents was face down on the ground. My mind began to cycle through the more logical reasons. Each one was slowly discarded. Logically, unless we just had a small earthquake, this was impossible. I started to feel sick to my stomach as I picked up the pictures of my parents.

I hastily grabbed my gym bag, backpack, phone, and keys. I then pulled on my shows before leaving the apartment. I took the Shibuya train to school and just calmed my mind on the train. I was allowing myself to calm down. Working with Oliver was messing with my mind. I rubbed my temple and started to wonder if I needed new frames, those ones were rather old so I can understand the stand snapping close on itself. What had created a crash like that? Was it the frames hitting the wooden floor? It seemed likely, but I couldn't help but think my line of thinking was wrong.

"What outrageous hair," An elderly woman's voice scoffed.

"I like her hair Obaa-Chan, it's rather gorgeous," a woman's voice gruffly replied.

I quickly got off at my station and made my way to the school.

"Emma-Chan!" I heard someone call my name.

I let out a soft grunt as a familiar brunette barreled into me. I easily caught my balance so we both wouldn't crash into the floor. Mai was grinning at me and I smiled back.

"Good morning, Mai-Chan," I greeted.

"You look tired," Mai commented.

"I don't sleep well," I gave a sheepish laugh.

Mai didn't look convinced as we headed to school together. Mai started to tell me about what Kuroda had stated about them telling ghost stories. I scratched at my cheek as I learned that Oliver had attempted to find more about the building by listening to ghost stories. He most likely did so after dismissing me. I scratched my head in thought.

"I don't know, Mai," I quietly admitted. "Kuroda-San was rather pleasant to me during class."

"Really?" Mai asked.

"Yes," I affirmed with an amused smile.

I gave her a wave and headed back outside with the short explanation of my schedule change. Mai looked far too amused about the fact that I was roped into assisting a teacher. I headed to the gym, the obvious gym is obvious and searched for the teacher. A woman with dark brown hair pulled up into a high ponytail gave me a curt nod as she sized me up.

"Get dressed and we'll start setting everything up, " she stated.

I gave a nod and headed to the locker room. Again locker thirteen seemed to be mine. I quickly changed and automatically became uncomfortable with the rather short shorts. I stepped back into the gym and noticed that the teacher was tossing something up and down in her hand. She tossed it to me and I caught it with some difficulty. She had tossed me a whistle.

"You'll be in charge of soft ball today," she informed me.

I gave a nod and the two of us exited the gym. I spared a glance toward the old school building and saw Lin and Oliver standing outside talking. Lin caught my eye and I sent him a small wave. I turned back to the teacher as I was given a clipboard of student names. One by one the students filed out of the gym and stood in front of us.

"Everyone, this is Emma Black starting today and Monday she will be my assistant, treat her with the same respect you would me, got it?" the teacher asked.

"Yes, Sensei!" the students answered in unison.

The teacher turned to me and I took a deep breath. I let a serious expression play on my face.

"Today we will be playing softball, I want you all to split into two teams of ten and get into position on the field!" I watched as the students followed my instructions and headed towards the field in two teams of ten.

I could get used to someone listening to me. I say that now but after three periods, no lunch of course, of watching over and instructing teens my age and older was exhausting and I now have a newfound respect for my teachers. I changed into my uniform and headed over to the old school building.

"Afternoon, Lin," I greeted.

"Teachers assistant," he stated as I nodded in confirmation.

"Going over yesterday's data?" I asked Oliver as I noticed him looking at a notebook.

"Yes," He responded without looking up from his notebook.

"Anything unusual?" I asked.

"Nothing unusual," he sounded both amused and annoyed. "Either there are no ghosts or they're hiding for now, so there doesn't seem to be any apparent danger at the present time."

"My, what impressive equipment," a woman's voice stated.

The three of us turned to face who talked and I realized how close I had gotten to Oliver. I stepped back so I would be out of his personal space. I looked at the woman and noted her natural red hair. I blinked in surprise, that was a very unusual hair color to have naturally in Japan.

"For kids toys that is," oh if she wanted to start a fight with Oliver she can go right ahead.

"And you are?" He sounds uninterested.

I shared a look with Lin and he gave me a shrug in response. Okay, I have someone else on my side who just watches a showdown like this.

"I'm Matsuzaki Ayako, nice to meet you," the red head introduced.

"I'm not interested in your name," Oliver stated.

"You're pretty sassy for a little boy, but handsome," Ayako stated with a slight growl.

"Thanks," Oliver agreed.

"What are you a narcissist?" I muttered out loud.

The look he sent me told me that my input was not needed. Lin looked amused and I just shrugged. Sometimes I just love to mess with people.

"You know, you can't exorcise a spirit with your face," Ayako stated.

If he could he would. I don't have a doubt about that.

"You're in the same business?" Oliver asked.

"You could say that, I'm a miko," Ayako stated.

"Wait, I thought Miko's were supposed to be innocent and pure, you look the exact opposite," I stated without thinking.

"That's not how I look to you?" Ayako asked as a false smile appeared on her face.

"Obviously, for one you look a bit too old to be considered innocent," I shrugged. "And you wear a lot of makeup to be pure."

The man that had been standing behind the self proclaimed miko started to laugh at that and I tilted my head. A smirk grew on my face as the miko glared at me.

"And you? You don't act like Matsuzaki-San's assistant," Oliver stated.

"No kidding," The man stated after he stopped laughing. "I'm Houshou Takigawa, a monk from Koya Mountain."

I like him, he seemed like a good natured man. He actually reminded me of Mark.

"Koya allows long hair on their Monks?" Oliver asked.

"He's an outlaw," Ayako stated.

"Hey, I'm just taking a break!" Takigawa stated.

"Anyway, kids playtime is over. We'll take it from here. The principal told me he no longer had confidence in you, who could blame him? You're only seventeen." Ayako stated.

He really is one year older than me. I had been estimating his age at first. Nice to know that my temporary boss is a kid like me.

"The principal thought your company was established and trustworthy because your office is located in a nice, prestigious neighborhood like Shibuya, but he mistook you name for the location, and once he found out your age he decided to call in professionals," Takigawa stated.

"The office is located in Shibuya I live right across from it," I mumbled.

"Is that so?" Oliver asked whilst he shoot me a dirty look.

"But the principal is overreacting," Ayako huffed. "Gathering so many people to work on such a crappy old building."

"Your right, I would've been enough," Takigawa grinned.

"We'll see about that, little boy what's your name?" Ayako asked.

"Shibuya Kazuya," Oliver stated as he turned back to one of the monitors in the van.

"What's yours kiddo?" Takigawa asked me.

"Black Emma, a pleasure to meet you," I gave a polite bow.

He looked confused as Ayako said something about my name sounding third class. That caused the two of them to argue. I sighed and turned to ask Oliver something. He was looking at me by using the glass on the monitor. I tilted my head and mouthed 'what?' at him. His eyes widened slightly and he quickly looked back towards his notebook. He didn't seem like he'd bee that easily flustered, either that or he was surprised that I caught him in the act. I looked towards Lin and noticed the amused glint in his eyes as he eyed Oliver.

"Black-San," that was Kuroda.

"Hello, Kuroda-San," I greeted.

"Who are these people?" She asked.

"A self proclaimed miko and a monk from Koya," I answered as she came to stand next to me. "Apparently the principal hired them to check out the building."

"Ah, I'm glad, I've had troubles with the building lately, this old building seems to be a nest for evil spirits," Kuroda stated.

"What did you just say?" Ayako asked as I looked at Kuroda in disbelief.

She was just like my mother when it came to superstitions. I pinched the bridge of my nose as Kuroda's eyes lit up.

"I'm very psychic and I've been having problems," Kuroda started to say before she was cut off.

"You crave attention don't you," Ayako stated in a cold voice.

"What?" Kuroda murmured in shock and surprise.

"You want to be in the spotlight? Do you want people's attention that badly?" Ayako asked with a very small sneer.

That was enough for me to step in front of Kuroda as I leveled a cold glare to Ayako.

"You don't get to talk to her like that," I stated in a very even voice. "I don't care what you think, she's my friend and I'd rather stand by her side than stand by and watch you belittle her to make yourself seem important."

"How dare you?" Ayako growled at me.

"Fake miko, you'll regret this," Kuroda stated before walking off.

I was angry and frustrated at the red head. Sure, I didn't believe Kuroda, but she was harmless and rather nice when you get to know her. My hands were clenching into fists before retuning to normal as my agitated state showed itself in some form. It was a nice substitute for decking the red head. I tensed at that. I wasn't that violent, bar hitting my brother with a spoon, it wasn't like me. I took a quiet deep breath and calmed myself down.

"Hey, Kazuya what am I doing today?" I questioned Oliver.

"Well, because there's been no reaction from the spirits, there's not much we can do at the moment, but one of your Sempai's claimed they saw a human silhouette," Oliver informed me as he stood up.

I blinked at the use of my first name in his Japanese. Usually boys call you that when there's a sense of familiarity or if they liked you. It was most likely the former. I forced myself away from that topic and thought about the rumor I had heard.

"Yes, in the far west corner of the building on the second floor," I quietly affirmed.

"We'll set the equipment up in there," Oliver told me as Lin jumped into action.

"Oh hello," no go away you terrible principal. "How are things coming along?"

I locked eyes with the man standing next to him. He smiled at me kindly and I felt my cheeks burn. It was strange getting nice smiles from guys around my age. The scar on my face seemed to prevent them and my attitude usually turned me into 'one of the guys'.

"We have one more guest joining us. I'd like you to meet Brown John," the principal told us.

"Hello, I'm John Brown it's a pleasure to meet you," Australian. I could hear his accent through his Kansai-Ben.

"It's nice to meet you, John," I greeted in English. "I'm Emma Black."

We shook hands and he looked overjoyed to find someone else who spoke English. We gave each other a smile and I rolled my eyes at the fact that Ayako and Takigawa were laughing at John's Kansai-Ben.

"Are you from Australia, John?" I questioned as Oliver and Lin continued to move the cameras.

"Ah, yes I am, why are those two laughing?" John asked.

"A kyoto dialect sounds funny to someone from a main city, sorta like a hillbilly," I informed him.

He gave me a thankful smile before nodding his head at a thought he had.

"Are all of you psychics?" John asked in a more casual tone as we both switched back to Japanese.

"You may say that, how about you?" Oliver asked an amused tone laced his words.

"I'm an exorcist," John dropped the ball on us.

"You look pretty young to be a priest," I weakly stated.

"I'm actually nineteen ," John informed us.

I was handed a regular camera and I sent Oliver a raised brow. He didn't say anything and I placed the camera around my neck by its strap and followed behind him as he entered the old school building. The rest of the group followed behind and I was glad that John was right behind me. We entered the base and I smiled slightly at the sight of Lin typing away at a computer.

"You have quite the collection of expensive gear," John complimented.

"How unfortunate that all your effort has been in vain," Ayako stated.

"I'm impressed. The president of a research center with all of this equipment must know what they're doing," Takigawa stated with a whistle.

"Did you come here to play around of find a ghost?" Oliver asked.

"This is why I don't like kids!" Ayako stated before stomping away, Takigawa following after with an amused expression.

"Aren't we all here to work together?" John asked. "I feel a bit awkward, I'd like to help so do you mind if I stay?"

"Please do," Oliver stated.

John and I shared a smile and he scratched his cheek in a thoughtful manner. I tilted my head in a questioning manner.

"May I ask how you got that scar?" John asked.

"A car accident Two months ago, it's mostly healed, but if I scratch at it'll most likely open up," I stated in a soft tone.

John let out a soft 'oh' and I turned my attention to the tv screens. John joined me and I placed my hands into the pockets of my slacks. I had shut down a conversation all because I didn't want to remember that night. I blinked as some movement caught my eye.

"Kazuya, a woman just entered the building," I quietly called.

Oliver came to stand behind me and he looked over my shoulder. The woman had short black hair and was wearing a kimono. I think that was Hara Masako. That's right she's a famous medium who did a case a few houses away from mine back home. The door squeaked open and we all looked to see the petite girl standing there.

"The principal must really want to demolish this building pretty badly if he invited you," Oliver quipped as he leaned against the desk. I sighed and rubbed my temples. I was starting to get a headache out of nowhere.

 _Matsuzaki is about to locked in a room._

I blinked as the headache subsided. Who was that? It almost sounded like Oliver, but with a much lighter tone of voice. His pitch was a bit higher too.

"It's been awfully quiet from Matsuzaki," I muttered.

A slam and a scream went through the building. My eyes widened at that. The voice had been right. I didn't have an explanation for that. I couldn't explain it away logically. I numbly followed behind the others as we went to the source. Takigawa was standing outside of a door and I rolled my eyes.

"Stand back," I ordered.

Takigawa did and I heard someone shuffle from the other side of the door. I picked up my left foot and slammed it into the door. The door fell off its hinges and I noted that the wood was cracked in several places. We went back to the base and I handed Ayako a coffee and a cookie. She accepted both and gave a frustrated sigh.

"I was checking out the classroom when all of a sudden the door closed by itself and wouldn't open," Ayako told us.

"Are you sure you didn't accidentally close it?" I quietly asked.

"Yes, I'm sure!" Ayako yelled at me. "There's definitely something here."

"I don't sense it at all, there are no spirits in this building," Masako I think we might just be friends.

The two began to bicker back and forth and I simply sighed before looking around the room. I looked towards Oliver and he sent me a look. I winced, he had noticed that I accurately guessed that something was going to happen. No, I didn't guess. I was told.

"I agree with Hara-San, there's nothing here," I finally spoke up.

"Brat," Ayako growled as Masako gained a victorious glint to her eyes.

"Emma," Oliver warned me.

"You really shouldn't play with rusty nails…oh I can't believe her," I let out a low chuckle before turning to Ayako. "You really should watch what you say to people, you might just make someone mad enough to take vengeance."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ayako growled.

"Figure it out," I grumbled.

Another warning look and I removed myself from the conversation to stand next to Lin as he typed something out on his computer. He looked up at me for a few seconds.

"Lin, are we having fun yet?" I quietly asked.

The corners of his mouth quicker up as he shook his head in disbelief. Ayako left the room once again, something about taking care of the spirits tomorrow. Tomorrow was Saturday, I didn't have classes tomorrow.

"I've been meaning to ask you, have we met somewhere before?" Masako asked.

"No, I believe this is the first time," Oliver stated.

"Is that right," she didn't sound convinced.

"Kazuya, it's starting to get dark," I informed him as my eyebrow twitched.

I shouldn't be that annoyed by their flirting. I must be pretty tired if I was getting that annoyed. Oliver looked towards the window and gave a nod.

"We'll put our equipment in the second floor in the far west corner of the building, then we should get out of here," Oliver stated.

I nodded and grabbed two cameras and followed behind him. It ended up being just the two of us. I kept quiet as Oliver started to go up the stairs.

"You knew that something was going to happen to Matsuzaki," Oliver stated.

"I just stated that it was quiet, that's all I'm guilty of," I grumbled at him as he took one of the cameras and set it up.

His hand skimmed mine and I had flashbacks to the dream I had this morning. It kept replaying over and over again until it was too much. My knees buckled slightly as my head began to throb. The camera was gently removed from my grasp and I put a hand over my eyes as I started to panic. I had to run, I don't know why, but every nerve in my body was telling me to run.

"Calm down," Oliver stated in English. "You have to ground yourself."

I attempted to follow what he asked and eventually I calmed down enough that my head stopped throbbing and ended up with a dull pain. I was able to focus on my surroundings and I noticed that Oliver was setting up the last camera. His face was an emotionless mask and I realized that I was gripping onto my slacks with a death grip so tight my knuckles were white. I relaxed my grip and got up off the floor. I held onto the wall as the room spun for a few seconds.

"How long have you been having visions?" Oliver asked me.

"Never," I stated truthfully.

"Nightmares," he concluded.

"Yes," I nodded before adding in a mutter, "I had this one last night…"

Oliver walked past me with a thoughtful expression on his face and I slowly followed behind him. My body was hurting and I eyed the stairs in intense dislike as I took them slowly. Oliver was waiting for me and I was surprised that he did so. I guess he wanted to look like a good boss, either that or I was getting some kind of information he wanted. It clicked all of a sudden. I was being hit with a car during my dreams, it wasn't much of a stretch to think that perhaps I was dreaming about someone's death. It went against everything I stood for, but what other reason did I have for it to happen while I was awake?

"You live in Shibuya, correct," Oliver stated.

"Yeah," I confirmed.

I sounded quiet,even to myself. I was still pretty shaken up so it explains the volume of my voice. Oliver tensed slightly before he opened the door to the base. Lin was the only one left inside and was gathering things into a folder. I quickly grabbed my bag and hoisted it onto my back. I checked my phone for any messages and was pleasantly surprised to see none.

"Emma," I looked to Lin, he looked a little concerned. "We'll drop you off on the way to the office."

"Thank you," I quietly said.

I followed behind the two and watched as they had an entire conversation without words. I sat at the window seat as Oliver sat in the middle. I was being let out first that was the only reason why I got a window seat. My hands were balled into fists the entire time. Lin pulled up outside of the apartment complex and I unbuckled.

"Thank you, I really appreciate it," I stated as I got out of the van.

Lin gave me a nod as Oliver followed suit. I sent him a confused look as he closed the door and Lin drove off. I went up to the apartment and unlocked the door. Oliver followed and closed the door as I turned on the lights. I blinked and narrowed my eyes when I thought I saw something move into my room.

"Would you like some tea?" I asked.

"Yes," Oliver gave me a nod and I led the way into the kitchen.

I put on the electric kettle and grabbed two tea cups as Oliver took a seat at the kitchen tabled. I grabbed some earl grey and my green tea powder as the kettle began to whistle. I turned off the hot plate and poured it into the cups. I added the tea and handed Oliver's to him. He let the tea seep for a while before taking a drink. His eyes were closed and I noted that he had some long eyelashes. Looking at him, he's pretty handsome, but he could be so rude.

"How long have you had nightmares?" Oliver asked me.

"You're better off asking my brother that question, I haven't been able to remember my dreams up until recently," I admitted.

"I see," Oliver stated. "Did you realize that you started to cry and grip your head?"

"That explains way too much," I chuckled as I placed my forehead into my palm.

It went quiet for a few minutes. The only sound breaking that quiet was Oliver taking a sip of tea.

"I want to hire you as a photographer for the office," Oliver informed me.

I looked at him in surprise. I smiled slightly at him.

"I'll enjoy working with you," I stated as the front door opened.

Mark walked in, closed the door and looked at the two of us. I raised a brow and he groaned.

"You did that eyebrow raise in unison, did you two know that?" He asked.

I smirked at that as he studied Oliver.

"This the owner of the camera you broke?" Mark asked me in English.

Oliver and I shared a look and he gave me a negative. Okay, don't tell my older brother that you can speak English. Got it Oliver.

"Yes brother," I stated.

"You should be more careful," Mark chided before switching to Japanese. "I apologize if my little sis said anything that offended you, sometimes she has no verbal filter."

"It's all right, I'm Shibuya Kazuya, I was interested in hiring her to be a photographer for my company," Oliver smiled.

'Ah, he should smile more often,' I thought to myself.

He looked younger and a bit happier when he did smile, even if it wasn't a genuine smile. Mark looked at me before tilting his head in a questioning way. Oliver had been about to take another sip of his tea when Mark did that. His blue eyes flickered to me before going back to Mark. He looked unamused by how similar the two of us were.

"What kind of company?" Mark asked.

"Paranormal research," Oliver replied without missing a beat.

"I owe Obaa-Chan fifty dollars," Mark stated.

"What?" I questioned.

"Well she always said you'd always find a job in that field, even stated that you'd break a camera," Mark stated.

I felt my body go numb. Obaa-Chan, she predicted my joining of SPR? I looked down at my tea and for once my mind was annoyingly blank. Oliver quietly finished his tea off.

"You'll be expected tomorrow," Oliver informed me.

"Have a good night, and be safe getting home," Mark mumbled before crashing onto the couch.

I sighed at that and shook my head in slight disbelief. Mark must've had a long day at work. He was already snoring away.

"Emma," I looked towards Oliver. "Start to write down your nightmares, cataloguing them seems to help in some cases."

"Right, do you want me to walk over to the office with you?" I questioned, I received a dirty look in reply. "I didn't mean anything rude by it,just wanted to make sure you'd be okay."

His expression became unreadable but his eyes softened. That's it, that's where he shows the most emotion. He bid me a good night and I smiled after the door closed. Perhaps living in Japan won't be that bad.


	4. Chapter 4

: no Mai will not be joining SPR, so please don't worry.

Sousie: thank you!

* * *

Chapter 3

* * *

 _This was a bit of a meta-dream. I was staring at myself as I slept in bed. I cuddled into the stuffed polar bear before frowning slightly, I was mirroring that expression. Something fell outside of my room and I traveled outside. My door was silent as I opened it. I peered towards Mark's room and chanced a peek inside. Mark was snoring loudly and I smiled softly at that before heading to the living room where the sound came from. There was a growling sound and my hands started to tremble at how possessive it sounded. My eyes widened at the sight of my mangled uncle. My breath caught in my throat as he turned to look at me with pitch black eyes. A pain in the side of my face caused me to cry out, I heard it echo from my room. My eyes flickered towards my room before going back to my uncle. He let out a louder growl and charged at me. I took a step back into someone and I tensed up as a black cladded arm stopped my uncle in his tracks._

 _"Go away for a while," that was the soft voice that informed me about Ayako._

 _My uncle let out a screech before fading into black smoke. The black smoke quickly went into the bathroom and I sighed in relief. I turned to thank whoever helped me and I blinked in surprise before pinching the bridge of my nose._

 _"Great, he's multiplying," I muttered, slightly amused._

 _I heard a snort at that and I was glad that this guy had a sense of humor._

 _"So, you're the girl that's been giving my brother crap," the teen stated, blue eyes glinting with humor. "Keep up the good fight, you might just get him to genuinely laugh."_

 _It went silent for a few minutes._

 _"I think we're going to be real good friends," I stated, he let out a laugh at that. "Emma Black, it's nice to meet you."_

 _"Eugene Davis," The teen introduced, he shook my hand before playfully giving it a light kiss. "It's a pleasure. Who was that anyway?"_

 _"My prick of an uncle," I shrugged, a growl sounded from the bathroom and I rolled my eyes. "You can't deny it you pervert! You were killed trying to get into a child's room you sick fuck!"_

 _"Such lovely language from a lady," Eugene commented lightly, I saw him eyeing the bathroom in slight distaste. "I had pegged you for an American."_

 _"It's because I don't speak the queens English, isn't it?" I asked in a mock English accent._

 _That got him roaring with laughter and I smiled at how easy it was to be myself around him. With other people I usually find myself attempting to test waters with others and I end up missing social cues and piss people off._

 _"It's the way you carried yourself," Eugene told me before he went back to being serious. "You need to wake up and bandage up your face, it's bleeding pretty heavily from your uncles attack."_

 _Attack? I guess that's what the sudden pain was._

 _"Okay, so the after life is a thing," I stated in disbelief. "Nice to know."_

 _"That was a late reaction," Eugene stated._

 _"I just had my entire belief system destroyed in less than three days, I think I'm allowed to have a late reaction, Gene," I narrowed my eyes at him._

 _He held his hands up in defense and I let out a huff as I went back to my room. I didn't even bother with the door_.

I woke up with a frown on my face and I sat up in bed. I held a hand to my face and brought it away with a wince when a warm liquid met my skin. I looked at my stuffed polar bear and sighed in relief that it hadn't gotten ruined with blood. I got out of bed and went into my bathroom. I cleaned up my face and placed a few band aids on the scar that was open once again. I changed into a black long sleeved shirt and black mid thigh length denim shorts. I exited the bathroom and went back into my room. I searched around for a pair on knee high socks. I let out a sound of victory as I grabbed a pair of black socks.

"Sis, why are you up so early?" Mark asked as I entered the kitchen. "How the hell did that cut open up again?!"

"I scratched it open during my sleep," I stated.

He sighed at that as I grabbed a piece of toast and a bag of a homemade nut trail mix. I gave Mark a smile before pulling my shoes on and grabbing my small leather back pack.

"I'm off!" I called before I completely exited the apartment.

Mark gave a sound of acknowledgement. I smiled and started to head for the train station. As usual there was a few whispers, but this time it was centered upon the fact that I was out of uniform. I tuned them out as I wrote in the blank notebook I carried in my bag. I was writing down what I had dreamed last night. I even gave small sketches of my uncles new form and Eugene. My stop came up and I closed the notebook before stashing it in my bag. I stepped off with countless others and started my trek to the school grounds. The black van was outside the school building and I smiled slightly at the sight of Oliver standing next to it.

"Good morning," I quietly greeted.

"You got hurt," Oliver stated.

"Yeah, don't worry about it though," I stated with a smile. "So what's on the agenda for today?"

"Matsuzaki-Sans exorcism attempt," I was informed.

It should be interesting. I tapped my chin in thought, perhaps she might just be telling the truth. Oliver was heading into the building and motioned for me to follow. I did so and we stood off to the side by one of the stair ways. Ayako was there and so was the principal. I leaned against the wall with the windows and let the sun warm me up a little, it was a slightly chilly day.

"Ok, pay attention, I'll exorcise it with no problem," Ayako stated.

"I wonder if she's actually able to do this," Takigawa quietly stated.

Ayakos quiet prayers filled the air and I closed me eyes to quietly listen to them. As she chanted a slight buzzing sound filled the air. I pushed my hair back from my face and frowned slightly.

 _Your on the right path, try to reach out a little bit more_. Eugene was coaching me from the beyond. I quietly sighed and attempted to do what he asked. The buzzing increased and instead of the darkness that came from closing my eyes, I could see the school. I quickly moved inside and noted tendrils of what appeared to be smoke in the building. It went everywhere and seemed to stay clear from Ayako as she emitted a warm golden glow.

'What was that?' I questioned as I kept my face impassive.

 _Poltergeist_. Like the movie? I'm getting the idea that a poltergeist isn't a spirit per say. Than what was it? I frowned as I attempted to remember what Oliver had called them in his book. Ah, that's right! They are usually created by women, teenage girls, and young children due to high emotional levels.

"Now you can feel relieved," Ayako stated as the Principal gave her compliments, I think he even asked her out for a drink.

We all turned to go up the stairs as the strange group of three went to leave. A loud crack filled the area and my eyes widened as the windows shattered in unison. Glass slapped against my back, legs, and arms. I hissed slightly and brushed some of the glass out of my hair. I had a few small shallow cuts on the backs of my legs that were uncovered. I moved away from the broken windows as Takigawa went to help the principal and his guest.

"Are you all right, Emma?" John asked me.

"Just a few scrapes I'll live, but they were at the main area," I stated as I looked towards the small group.

"No need to worry?" When did Kuroda get here.

I looked towards Oliver and he gave me a look. So she'd been here for a while, but I haven't. I was even on time. What is this fuckery?

"You didn't properly eliminate the spirits, the principal got hurt because of you," Kuroda slyly stated.

"We can't eliminate the possibility that the building might be falling apart and that it could've been an accident," I calmly stated as Ayako glowered at Kuroda.

"She's right, this was an accident," Masako agreed.

"But I know I got rid of them," Ayako stated.

"I'm not saying you weren't successful at an exorcism, but there weren't any spirits here in the first place," Masako continued.

I didn't think that Masako would be on my side. We slowly all traveled up the stairs and I blocked out the conversations as we entered the base. Lin was typing away and I greeted him with a friendly wave. I got a nod in response and I happily looked towards the monitors. A chair had slid into the middle of a room and I frowned a little at that. The building must've sunk a little more. The dust tracks leading from the chair showed that it had gradually moved across the floor, it wasn't just a sudden action. Lin was the one that brought it to the others attention, I guess I'd been staring at it for too long.

"It's a poltergeist," Kuroda stated.

"I don't think this was a poltergeist, objects that are moved by a poltergeist should feel warm, but thermal is showing that it remained the same temperature," Oliver stated.

"That's the same room that's at an angle, it's the farthest room on the west side, correct?" I quietly asked, Oliver gave me a nod. " Is it safe to assume that the chair moved due to a change in angle? The dust tracks from the chair show that it moved at a reasonable pace, similar to that of an object on a slope. Then again, I can be wrong."

I didn't want Kuroda to feel like I was her enemy. I'm not, there's just nothing here, but the poltergeist. Was it tied to her? I heard a distinct bell like sound and my eyebrow twitched. Now was not the time for games Eugene. Masako left the room and I noted the sullen expression on her face.

"She looks shocked," John quietly stated.

"Of course, a psychic is a psychic because they can see spirits that an ordinary person can't, if you mess that up you will no longer be considered a psychic," Oliver stated.

"Shibuya-San must like pretty ladies," Kuroda grumbled.

"Ah, well…he treats everyone the same, we must truly be gremlins then," I stated in a wistful tone.

He didn't look too amused. I sent him a smile to convey that there were no hard feelings in that joke and he calmed down. He's kind of a push over isn't he? It was a little surprising coming from someone like him.

"I'm well aware of her accomplishments and I do praise her for her talents, don't you agree that I should at least treat her with respect?" Oliver questioned.

"Than I suggest you pay a little more respect to us," Ayako stated, crossing her arms across her chest.

"What part of you should I have respect for?" Oliver questioned with an elegant raise of a brow.

"What did you just say?!" Ayako loudly growled as Lin and I let out coughs in unison.

 _Hara is in danger_. I blinked at that before frowning. The conversations stopped as a loud groaning sound filled the air. I looked up and loud crash sounded alongside a female scream.

"Hara-San fell from the classroom on the second floor!" John yelled as he looked at the monitors.

I pulled out my phone and started to dial emergency services as I moved out of the room to go check on Masako. I heard a soft female grown as the emergency dispatcher informed me that an ambulance would be there in ten to fifteen minutes. Masako looked up at me in surprise as I knelt down next to her.

"I called an ambulance, they'll be here soon," I gently told her.

"Thank you," Masako quietly rasped.

"What happened?" I tilted my head as I asked.

"It was an accident on my own stupidity," Masako gracefully stated.

There was the sound of footsteps and I looked to see the others. They looked concerned and Oliver had narrowed his eyes before looking up towards the Masako sized hole in the side of the building. The ambulance came and they easily moved Masako and headed towards the hospital. We headed back inside and I sat on one of the unused desks as we spoke.

"A weak veneer was attached to the wall to protect the room from wind and rain, when Hara-San leaned on it the veneer broke and she fell through," Oliver stated.

"She's just being stubborn, I still think there are spirits here," Ayako haughtily stated.

"Spirits that you couldn't completely get rid of, which means they are more dangerous," Takigawa stated.

My eyes met Oliver's and he gave an annoyed sigh. I blinked in slight confusion before looking down at my scuffed up shoes. I wonder if I did something to annoy him? The better question was why I even cared.

"As far as I can deduce from the tape, this was a legitimate accident," Oliver stated.

"Than that would mean Theresa logical explanation, right?" I quietly added my input. "There's something rather strange going on."

"Yes, there's absolutely no reaction on any of the equipment, the temperature and ion counts are stable, the amount of static is normal," Oliver stated. "All my data shows absolute normality."

"But what about the Miko getting locked up? And me getting attacked?" Kuroda asked. "The video getting cut off, glass broken, black board cracking, and even the chair!?"

I hadn't known that she had been attacked. I shot a questioning look at Oliver and he gave me the same expression when I first noticed that Kuroda was even here. He better explain at a later date better yet, I better not forget to ask him. I thought I all ready explained the chair. I made a face at that and crossed my arms across my chest.

"That's why it's, in Emma's terms, strange," Way to throw me under the van Oliver.

I sent him an unamused look at that and he smirked. What an asshat! He knew exactly what he was doing. I clicked my tongue slightly and looked at Takigawa.

"The spirits may be so strong that they can trick us into thinking they might not be there," Takigawa suggested.

"What do you think it isn't?" Oliver asked.

"Jibakurei," Takigawa stated.

An earth bound spirit? That doesn't sound right. None of the people who died in the building would've had an attachment to said building. Wow, listening to people talk about the paranormal seems to have paid off.

"And you, John," Oliver turned towards the blonde priest.

"I'm not sure, but I agree that it's dangerous," John stated. "What about you?"

"I'll share my opinion later. I'm going to research this from a different angle, Emma," I looked towards him. "Lin and I will be getting equipment from the van, stay here and watch over everything."

"Got it," I affirmed.

The two left the room and Takigawa stated something I couldn't quite hear. John left the room to go do something. I pulled up a chair to the monitors and watched as they smoothly transitioned into night vision. John walked into the tilted classroom and I blinked at how odd it was that the garb of priesthood suited him. He began to pray and my open cut from this morning began to burn. I brought a hand up to it and gently rubbed it.

 _The ceiling is about to fall!_ Eugenes voice was filled with slight panic and I quickly got up to my feet and exited the room. I heard a few voices call out my name as I quickly opened the door to the classroom that John was in. He jumped a few feet in the air and turned to me with wide eyes.

"The ceiling is about to collapse in this room," I informed him.

He quickly rushed out of the room. I seemed to have made it in time as the ceiling fell with a loud crash that induced a giant cloud of dust to enter the hallway. I let out a few coughs in unison with John.

"Are you two okay?" Takigawa asked.

"I'm all right," John assured.

"I've been better, I'm just glad no one got hurt this time," I quietly stated as I caught my breath from running up all those stairs.

"If you hadn't come running I would've been crushed, thank you Emma," John stated with a smile.

I smiled back as Lin and Oliver came into view. Oliver began to study the wood and I watched curiously as he seemed to calculate something in his mind.

"Emma, you may go home now," Oliver informed me.

"Okay, everyone try to have a nice night," I quietly stated before I quickly left.

I was able to make it on the train and I found a seat to sit in. I stretched slightly and searched for my phone. I unlocked it and looked at the screen in a slightly disappointed way. None of my friends have messaged me. I mean I wasn't actually expecting them to because of my uncle, I can't blame if that was the case. My stop came up and I started my trek home. I fished my keys out of my bag and unlocked the apartment door a growl sounded out and I rolled my eyes in annoyance before entering.

"Shove it up your ass uncle," I muttered.

I heard a distinct snort and blinked when my door opened for me. Great, I have the double haunt going on. I pinched the bridge of my nose and entered my room. The door closed.

"I'm going to change you better be on the outside of that door, Gene," I growled.

 _Don't worry I am, I wouldn't want to face the wrath of the all mighty Femme fatale._ I snorted at that and quickly changed into a pair of pajamas and finished getting ready for bed. I burrowed my face into the stuffed polar bear that my dad had gotten me when we went to the San Diego Zoo for my fourteenth birthday. I closed my eyes at that thought and forced the tears back, my dad wouldn't want me to cry about him being gone, but sometimes it was too hard. I missed him, I missed him and mom. I clenched my jaw as tears started to soak the faux fur of the stuffed bear. I fell asleep that way.


End file.
